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The Colorado Rockies have traded outfielder Corey Dickerson and a minor leaguer to the Tampa Bay Rays in a deal that will bring "multiple pitchers," including reliever Jake McGee, to Denver, according to multiple reports.
The Rays were the latest team to be brought up in trade rumors with the Rockies, who have been immersed in them since signing free-agent outfielder Gerardo Parra earlier this month. It's not clear which minor leaguer the Rockies are sending to Tampa, nor do we know who else is coming back to Colorado, though it could be a player profiled here.
Dickerson, 26, has done nothing but hit since the Rockies selected him in the eighth round of the 2010 draft. The lefty swinger was a .321/.379/.596 hitter in the minors and has managed a .299/.345/.534 line in parts of three big league seasons.
Limited to 65 games and 234 plate appearances as a result of plantar fasciitis in 2015, Dickerson still raked to the tune of a .304/.333/.536 line in what was his sophomore season.
McGee, 29, is an excellent relief pitcher. Over the past two seasons, he's thrown 108⅔ innings with a 2.07 ERA. He's walked just two batters per nine innings. His strikeout numbers are even more impressive, as he's fanned 11.4 batters per nine innings over the last two seasons.
McGee throws his fastball over 90 percent of the time. He couples it from time to time with a curveball. He's effective because his fastball averages 95 mph and has a lot of life. McGee will begin 2016 with four years of service time, which means he'll be a free agent after the 2017 season. He's due to earn $4.8 million in 2016. In 2017, his salary will be determined by his final run at arbitration.
While McGee is very good at what he does, he doesn't appear to fit on the Rockies. It's possible that the Rockies have a suitor lined up for McGee right now. The Dodgers, in particular, are a team to keep an eye on, as they missed on Aroldis Chapman earlier this offseason and might still want to add a late reliever.
UPDATE: 2:47 p.m. MT:
FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal narrows down the focus on a still-unknown minor league pitcher that may be returning to the Rockies in addition to McGee:
Sources: Second pitcher going to #Rockies along with McGee is not considered one of #Rays’ top 10 prospects. Do not yet know name.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 28, 2016
UPDATE: 4:26 p.m. MT:
Jon Heyman reports that German Marquez is the prospect coming to Colorado along side McGee:
Rhp German Marquez goes to rockies with McGee in dickerson deal
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 28, 2016
Marquez, 20, just finished a season at High-A Charlotte in the Florida State League. In 26 games (23 starts), he went 7-13 with a 3.56 ERA, logging 9.5 H/9, 0.4 HR/9, 1.9 BB/9 and 6.7 K/9 across 139 innings pitched. In his career thus far, the Venezuelan right-hander is 14-27 with a 3.88 ERA across 75 games (59 starts), logging 7.4 K/9 against just 2.7 BB/9 and 0.5 HR/9.
He was signed for $200,000 as an amateur free agent in 2011. And, he's young for his level—he'll turn 21 in less than a month, and was three years younger than his average Florida State League opponent in 2015.
UPDATE: 6:11 p.m. MT:
Rosenthal now reports that Rockies third base prospect Kevin Padlo is the minor leaguer returning to the Rays in the trade, which apparently wraps up all four players involved:
Full trade, per sources: Dickerson and minor-league 3B Kevin Padlo from #Rockies to #Rays for McGee and minor-league RHP German Marquez.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 29, 2016
Padlo, 19, started 2015 in Low-A Asheville and struggled before he was demoted back to short-season level Boise to finish the year. In Boise, he was phenomenal, slashing .294/.404/.502 with 22 doubles, 9 home runs, and 33 stolen bases in 70 games (308 plate appearances). Padlo was a fifth round draft pick in the 2014 MLB Draft out of a high school in Murrieta, California.
UPDATE: 6:40 p.m. MT:
In addition to the trade being finalized, the Colorado Rockies announced on Thursday night that left-handed relief pitcher Christian Friedrich has been designated for assignment:
Additionally, LHP Christian Friedrich has been designated for assignment.
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) January 29, 2016
Friedrich's roster spot was needed as the second 40-man opening for Marquez and McGee, both of whom were on the Rays' 40-man roster this winter. A former first-round draft pick, Friedrich, 28, was converted to a relief pitcher at the end of 2014 and struggled through a tough summer in 2015, logging a 5.25 ERA (but 4.04 FIP) over 68 games (58 innings), recording 11.6 H/9, 3.9 BB/9, and 6.9 K/9.
With the moves, the Rockies still have 40 players on their 40-man roster.
We'll have more on this as further details are made available.